Spreader

Abstract

A spreader for spreading a material including at least one pair of rotating discs having a plurality of generally radially oriented blades attached thereon for disbursing the material in a pre-selected pattern. The discs are rotatably positioned below an end of a funnel unit to receive material passing through the funnel units. The material, as it passes through the funnel units, is directed to a predetermined impact region on each of the rotating discs by a corresponding pair of deflecting vanes integrally fit and movably attached within each funnel of the pair of funnel units. Each deflecting vane is selectably movable by a corresponding actuator from a first position to a second position while the spreader is operating.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A spreader for spreading a material comprising:
 at least one pair of funnel units, each funnel unit having a first end and an opposed second end, each funnel unit having a pair of deflecting vanes positioned therein between the first end and the second end, each pair of deflecting vanes being integrally fit and movably attached within each funnel unit of the at least one pair of funnel units, each deflecting vane of the pair of deflecting vanes movably connected to an actuator; and 
 at least one pair of adjacent rotating discs having a plurality of radially oriented blades attached thereon for disbursing the material in a scatter pattern; 
 each of a first disc and a second disc of the at least one pair of adjacent rotating discs rotatably positioned below the second end of one funnel unit of the at least one pair of funnel units to receive the material passing through the at least one pair of funnel units; 
 wherein each pair of deflecting vanes directs the material passing through the at least one pair of funnel units to a predetermined impact region on each of the rotating discs; 
 wherein a majority of the material is forming a single flow of material by each pair of the deflecting vanes, and the spreader is operating by modifying a location of the single flow of material to the predetermined impact region to adjust the scatter pattern by modifying the predetermined impact region on each of the rotating discs; 
 wherein each deflecting vane of each pair of deflecting vanes is selectably movable by the actuator from a first position to a second position as controlled by a controller while the spreader is operating to adjust the scatter pattern by modifying the predetermined impact region on each of the rotating discs. 
 
     
     
       2. The spreader of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one pair of rotating discs comprises the first disc rotating counter-clockwise positioned adjacent to the second disc rotating clockwise, the first disc and the second disc having the plurality of radially oriented blades attached thereon for disbursing the material in the scatter pattern. 
     
     
       3. The spreader of  claim 2 , wherein the first disc is positioned on the left of the second disc, when viewed from behind a forward direction of travel of the spreader. 
     
     
       4. The spreader of  claim 1  further comprises a splash guard extending toward or along at least a portion of a periphery of the first disc and the second disc. 
     
     
       5. The spreader of  claim 1  further comprises a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver for sensing a position of the spreader and providing an output signal indicative of the position of the spreader to a controller, wherein the controller calculates a required pattern and density of the material to be spread by the at least one pair of rotating discs based on the position of the spreader, and controls a rate at which a dispenser dispenses the material to the at least one pair of rotating discs, and a position of the predetermined impact region on each disc of the at least one pair of rotating discs by the pair of deflecting vanes in order to obtain the required pattern and density of spread material. 
     
     
       6. The spreader of  claim 1 , wherein each actuator is configured for urging each corresponding deflecting vane to a position in which an application spectrum of the material is biased to an outer extent. 
     
     
       7. The spreader of  claim 1 , wherein each actuator is configured for urging each corresponding deflecting vane to a position in which an application spectrum of the material is biased to an inner extent. 
     
     
       8. The spreader of  claim 1 , wherein at least one actuator is a stepper motor. 
     
     
       9. The spreader of  claim 1  further comprises a hopper having a dispenser and a dispensing outlet for dispensing material, the dispenser positioned intermediate the hopper and the dispensing outlet, the dispenser configured to dispense material to the first end of each funnel unit. 
     
     
       10. The spreader of  claim 9  further comprises a door assembly having a door associated with each funnel unit, the door adapted to control an amount of material dispensed by the dispenser. 
     
     
       11. An apparatus for spreading a material comprising:
 a hopper having a dispenser and a dispensing outlet for dispensing material, the dispenser positioned intermediate the hopper and the dispensing outlet; 
 at least one pair of funnel units, each funnel unit having a first end and an opposed second end, each funnel unit having a pair of deflecting vanes positioned therein between the first end and the second end, each pair of deflecting vanes being integrally fit and movably attached within each funnel unit of the at least one pair of funnel units, each deflecting vane of the pair of deflecting vanes movably connected to an actuator; 
 the at least one pair of funnel units attached in a vertical plane adjacent to the hopper such that each funnel unit first end receives the material from the hopper dispensing outlet and each funnel unit second end discharges the received material; and 
 at least one pair of rotating discs comprised of a first disc and a second disc, the first and second discs having a plurality of radially oriented blades attached thereon for dispersing the material from the funnel second end in a scatter pattern; 
 the first and second discs each rotatably positioned below a corresponding one of the at least one pair of funnel units second ends to receive material passing through the second end of the at least one pair of funnel units; 
 wherein each pair of deflecting vanes directs the material passing through the second end of the corresponding funnel unit to at least one pre-selected impact region on each disc of the pair of rotating discs; 
 wherein a majority of the material is forming a single flow of material by each pair of the deflecting vanes, and the spreader is operating by modifying a location of the single flow of material to the predetermined impact region to adjust the scatter pattern by modifying the predetermined impact region on each of the rotating discs; 
 wherein each deflecting vane of each pair of deflecting vanes is movable by the actuator from a first position to a second position as controlled by a controller while the apparatus is operating to adjust the scatter pattern by modifying the predetermined impact region on each of the rotating discs; 
 the apparatus further including a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver for sensing a position of the apparatus and providing an output signal indicative of the position of the apparatus to a controller, wherein the controller calculates a required pattern and density of material to be spread by the pair of rotating discs based on the position of the apparatus, and controls a rate at which the dispenser dispenses the material to the pair of rotating discs, and a position of the at least one pre-selected impact region on each disc of the pair of rotating discs by the pair of deflecting vanes in order to obtain the required pattern and density of spread material; 
 wherein the apparatus is capable of operating while maintaining a constant rotational speed of the first disc the same as a rotational speed of the second disc. 
 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the dispenser is a conveyor. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the dispenser comprises a pair of conveyors. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein each actuator is configured for urging each corresponding deflecting vane to a position in which an application spectrum of material is biased to an outer extent. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein each actuator is configured for urging each corresponding deflecting vane to a position in which an application spectrum of material is biased to an inner extent. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 11  further comprises a splash guard extending along at least a portion of a periphery of the first disc and the second disc. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein at least one actuator is a stepper motor. 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one pair of rotating discs comprises the first disc rotating counter-clockwise positioned adjacent to the second disc rotating clockwise, the first disc and the second disc having the plurality of radially oriented blades attached thereon for disbursing the material in the scatter pattern. 
     
     
       19. The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the first disc is positioned on the left of the second disc, when viewed from behind a forward direction of travel of the apparatus. 
     
     
       20. A method of spreading a material from an apparatus comprising:
 providing a hopper having a dispenser and a dispensing outlet for dispensing material, the dispenser positioned intermediate the hopper and the dispensing outlet; 
 providing at least one pair of funnel units, each funnel unit having a first end and an opposed second end, each funnel unit having a pair of deflecting vanes positioned therein between the first end and the second end, each pair of deflecting vanes being integrally fit and movably attached within each funnel unit of the at least one pair of funnel units, each deflecting vane of the pair of deflecting vanes movably connected to an actuator, the at least one pair of funnel units attached in a vertical plane adjacent to the hopper such that each funnel unit first end receives the material from the hopper dispensing outlet and each funnel unit second end discharges the received material; 
 providing at least one pair of rotating discs comprised of a first disc and a second disc, the first and second discs having a plurality of blades attached thereon for dispersing the material from the funnel second end in a scatter pattern, the first and second discs each rotatably positioned below a corresponding one of the at least one pair of funnel units second ends to receive material passing through the second end of the at least one pair of funnel units, wherein each pair of deflecting vanes directs the material passing through the second end of the corresponding funnel unit to at least one pre-selected impact region on each disc of the pair of rotating discs, wherein a majority of the material is forming a single flow of material by each pair of the deflecting vanes, and the apparatus is operating by modifying a location of the single flow of material to a predetermined impact region to adjust the scatter pattern by modifying the predetermined impact region on each of the rotating discs, wherein each deflecting vane of each pair of deflecting vanes is movable by the actuator from a first position to a second position as controlled by a controller while the apparatus is operating to adjust the scatter pattern by modifying the predetermined impact region on each of the rotating discs; 
 controlling a rate at which the dispenser dispenses the material to the pair of rotating discs; 
 controlling a position of the at least one pre-selected impact region on each disc of the pair of rotating discs; 
 wherein the apparatus is capable of operating while maintaining a constant rotational speed of the first disc the same as a rotational speed of the second disc. 
 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 20 , wherein controlling the rate at which the dispenser dispenses the material to the pair of rotating discs and controlling the position of the at least one pre-selected impact region on each disc of the pair of rotating discs are achieved using a GPS system. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 20 , wherein the first disc rotating counter-clockwise positioned left of a second disc rotating clockwise, when viewed from behind a forward direction of travel of the apparatus.